Just in Time for Mother’s Day

Martin wants to introduce one of our newest seed characters: Blossom the Skunk! Seed cylinders are hand-crafted and held together with gelatin, which makes it slightly harder for the birds to just grab what they want and fly off, instead they must work on it and stay at the feeder longer. Blossom is a blend of sunflower and safflower seed, so Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, and White-breasted Nuthatches will all be happy to visit. There are many other varieties of seed cylinders, seed characters, and feeders we have available in store and on our website. Click HERE for all your bird feeding needs.

Squirrels can be fun but always be careful!

Our sales associate Jamie always has amazing stories about his resident squirrel, Jeff. Within the past few weeks this friendly black squirrel has decided to knock on the window when it wants peanuts. Jamie also learned that Jeff is in fact a mother! And she has brought around one of her babies to show off and teach them where the good stuff is. Squirrels are wild animals, so if you notice that they are getting too friendly and start to get too comfortable with people, stop feeding them. The best way to separate you from food is feeding them away from the house in a tray feeder and refill it during different times throughout the day to prevent establishing a schedule.

Nature Nerd Corner:

Hungry Cardinals

Our customer H.F. was surprised to find her Northern Cardinals eating suet, something that they do not usually snack on. In late spring, many food resources dwindle before everything starts blooming and insects begin to emerge, which pushes birds and critters to eat anything they can get the beaks or paws on. In this snapshot, the cardinal is eating a hot pepper suet cake in a simple suet cage. They have also been known to eat black oil sunflower seed, safflower seed, peanut splits, mealworms, and Bark Butter® bits. If you want to attract more Northern Cardinals to your backyard, stop by the store and we will get you set up for success!

Save the Songbirds:

The Importance of Native Plants

When thinking of our feathered friends and how to attract them, many start with feeding them or providing a house for them. Native plants can do both at the same time! These plants make up the ecosystem that many of our birds depended on before we came around. So, adding these types of flora to our backyard is the best way to keep our favorite species around long-term.

Oak trees are one of the most beneficial trees that can be added to your landscaping because they provide tons of food and plenty of shelter options like cavities or branches. Acorns and bugs are some of the best natural food resources for common backyard birds like Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, and Black-capped Chickadees.

Planting wildflowers for every season is a great thing to keep in mind, so there are seeds, nuts, and bugs available year-round. Many native plants bring in a myriad of butterflies, bees, moths, beetles, and fireflies, because they depend on them for laying eggs and providing nourishment for their larvae. Finding the best plants that work in your yard can take some research on sunlight, moisture levels, and soil composition of the area you are planning on landscaping.

Wildtype Native Plants is a local native plant nursery in Mason, Michigan where you can buy wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees during their limited Public Sale Days. Another great resource we have partnered with is the Garden for Wildlife program created by the National Wildlife Federation. On their website, you can shop for a variety of native plants that grow in your area or stop by our store in late May to check out what native plants we have left from our native plant pre-order sale.!

Resources: Wildtype Nursery, gardenforwildlife.com, nativeplantfinder.nwf.org, plantnative.org, and audubon.org/native-plants